SAFEGUARDING & CHILD PROTECTION
SAFEGUARDING & CHILD PROTECTION
Working together to keep your children safe
Ensuring that your child feels safe and secure at school is our key priority. All staff receive regular training to make sure they have an up to date knowledge of current safeguarding best practice in schools. This includes studying and learning from ‘serious case reviews’. Training is provided by our Safeguarding advisors, Clennell Education Solutions and also by designated persons (Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and DSLs). Select members of the Governing Body and Senior Leaders also receive regular ‘safer recruitment’ training to ensure the selection process to recruit new members of staff includes important safeguarding checks.
Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Miss R Quinn - Headteacher
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads:
Miss N Maddison - Assistant Headteacher
Mrs C Harman - SENDCo
Mrs C Harris - EYFS Lead
Members of the Local Governing Body:
Mr P. Dinsley – Chair of Governors
Mr D. O’Connor – Safeguarding Link Governor
All Safeguarding Leads receive regular, termly training and updates. Staff at St. Columba’s all use the CPOMS electronic recording system to record safeguarding concerns. If you ever have a concern about child safety or safety on the school site, please bring it to the immediate attention of a member of staff, so it can be responded to as soon as possible.
OPERATION ENCOMPASS
What is Operation Encompass?
The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in a domestic abuse incident. Following an incident at home, children will often arrive at school distressed, upset and unprepared for the day.
North Tyneside Council, the police and nominated Key Adults in school will be working together to make sure that school staff are made aware of an incident early enough to support pupils in school.
Why is Operation Encompass being introduced in North Tyneside?
Operation Encompass was initially launched in Plymouth in February 2011 to address a shortcoming in the early sharing of information with schools. Since then several pilots have been set up across the UK, including Gateshead and South Tyneside, and has proved to very successful in providing appropriate support in a timely manner. Pilots across the UK have reported positive outcomes for many children and young people.
North Tyneside Council, Northumbria Police and all schools in the borough will be taking part in the scheme, to help provide additional new support which will benefit children and young people in North Tyneside and improve multi-agency sharing of information.
How will it work?
Schools across North Tyneside will nominate at least two members of staff who will be known as Key Adults. All Key Adults will attend specific training to the role in preparation for Operation Encompass.
Each morning a police officer will review all domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school but which might have had an impact on a child attending school the following day. Where children were present, witnessed or involved in a domestic abuse incident and aged between 4 and 16 years old, the officer will send this information to Children’s Social Care Front Door Service.
Staff from the Front Door Service will send this information in a secure format to the identified Key Adult. The Key Adult will check their emails every day and the staff in contact with those pupils will then be in an informed position to support them in a way that is right for the child.
OPERATION ENDEAVOUR
Our school is also part of the Operation Endeavour project.
Operation Endeavour aims to support children and young people who go missing from home. Children who go missing from home are at risk of significant harm and they may be vulnerable to Child Criminal Exploitation. As a result, following any report of a child going missing to the Police, the Police will make contact with Children’s Social Care who will then communicate relevant and necessary information to nominated school staff.
Each school has members of staff (key adults) who have been trained in liaising with the Police and Children’s Social Care when required, and will ensure that the necessary support is made available to the child of young person following their return.
If you would like to speak to someone further about the project or require additional information please speak to one of the key adults listed above.